Moxibustion for Weight Loss & Stomach Pain: A Mendicant Monk’s Journey

My brother once told me he admires me for my persistence and willingness to endure hardship—he called me both a “mendicant monk” and a “missionary.” Yesterday I was talking with my nephew (my cousin’s son), who’s also in his twenties. He wondered why I put myself through so much suffering. True—it is hard. I went to bed at 3 AM last night and still couldn’t sleep. But as I always say, “The work is hard, but my heart is not bitter,” and “Tears may stream down my face, yet inside I feel truly happy.”

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who follow their hearts and feel with their whole being, and those who endlessly analyze everything with their minds. I belong to the first. I’m moved and trusted easily by fellow “heart-people,” but the thinkers remain cool—even if I laid bare my heart, they’d calmly weigh pros and cons and ask, “What’s in it for me?”

Most of my friends are like me—emotional, intuitive. Around them, I can be completely myself. Ever since I devoted myself to moxibustion, I’ve enthusiastically shared its benefits. Those who understand me give it a try. The analysts—especially those without any ailments—simply won’t trust me. At home it’s the same two camps: my father firmly believes and supports me—when I encourage him to have moxibustion, he does it and feels better. My mother, however, remains skeptical; she sees it as merely my way of making money, not as genuine healing. She often warns me, “Don’t preach moxibustion to everyone—some people just won’t accept it, and I worry when I see you so eager; they won’t buy your treatments.”

In my husband’s family it’s the same split. My son trusts me—he lets me do massage, gua sha, and moxibustion on him. My husband, like my mother, never takes to heart what I say about moxibustion; to him it’s just my business. Because of this division at home, I’ve largely stopped promoting moxibustion outside—except on my blog, my social feed, and in my moxibustion chat group.

Sometimes the people closest to you are the hardest to reach. I worry they think I simply want their money, so I hold back. But if someone seeks me out about moxibustion, I’ll speak passionately, offer extra tips, give freebies—because a kindred spirit is rare! Last night, in a long-quiet chat group of friends, someone mentioned struggling with weight loss. They’ve been trying to slim down forever with no result—I felt compelled to speak up. I couldn’t stay silent. I decided I’d explain in the group why people gain weight and how moxibustion can help. Yes, it took courage to advertise there—fear of rejection—but I can’t withhold a method that helps.

Even this simple step took me a long internal struggle. Once I finally spoke, I felt a huge relief. Acceptance takes time. Even the hard-headed analysts may come around when conventional medicine offers no solution. Recently my brother—who never worried about his health—had a scare just before turning forty. He researched moxibustion himself and decided to try it—and he’s seen benefits. My husband had kidney stone pain, and after one moxa session he was pain-free. He’s now combining it with medication and will re-scan soon. Everyone’s “moxa journey” has its own timing. My job is simply to say, “When you have a problem, give it a try.” Results speak louder than arguments.

I’m deeply grateful to the friends and fans who have supported me and laughed with me, and even to those who initially rejected my “sales pitch,” because their eventual acceptance proves that the struggle was necessary—and that the outcome is cherished all the more. A tear-streaked smile is a uniquely radiant thing.

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